Shipping device with article supporting means



March 27, 1951 J. G. DUNNEBACK SHIPPING DEVICE WITH ARTICLE SUPPORTINGMEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1945 MWEA/me Jess/w 6'. flaw/554ai 22' ,f aw,w a ,ALArm/eA/e'ms.

Marsh 7;, 195 J. G. DUNNEBAGK SHIPPING DEVICE WITH ARTICLE SUPPORTINGMEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1945 /NVEA/7'0/? JOSEPH 62flaw/assume K 56. a. f 1 I flewfl wula i4. ATTORNEKS 27, 1951 J,DUNNEBACK 2,546,921

SHIPPING DEVICE WITH ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Sept. 28, 1945Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESHIPPING .DEVICE WITH ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS Joseph G. Dunnehack,ShakerHeights, '0hio,iassigner to J. & L. Steel Barrel Company,Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of ,New Jersey ApplicationSeptember 28,1945, Serial No. 619,038

4 Claims.

suitable for the shipment of electrical machinery or equipment, aircraftengines, and the like.

One object of my invention is to provide a shipping package of drum formwherein the machine or other article to be shipped is suspended in suchmanner that some battering or deformation of the drum through roughhandling will not result in damage to the article contained therein, thedrum being also moisture-proof and air-tight.

Another object of my invention is .to provide a shipping package of.such form that not only will the article shipped therein befirmlysuspended or maintained in spaced relation to the side and endwalls of the drum, but can, nevertheless, be readily removed from thedrum.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a shipping package ofthe characterreierred to which is of such form that articles of variousdimensions can readily be firmly mounted therein, including theprovision of means for bracing and supporting articles of variouslengths at places that are relatively spaced axially of the .drum.

vention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a shipping packageor drum having an 1 article mounted therein for shipment:

Figure .2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line IIII ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical. cross-sectional View, to enlargedscale, of a portion of the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary face view of the cover fastening and sealingelements of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the coversealing and holding elements of Figures;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the articlesupporting base of Figures1 and 2;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the holding rings of Figure'1-;

Figure 8 is a-vertical cross-sectional view similar to Figure 1 butshowing another 'form pf structure;

Figure 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line IX-]X ofFigure 8;

Figure 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the 1ine XX.ofFigure 8;

Figure 11 is a perspective View of the article holding cage of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to Figures 1 and Sbutshowing still another form of structure;

Figure 13 is a horizontal crossesectional view taken on line XIIL-XIIIof Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line XIV-XIVof Figure '12; and

Figure 15 is a perspective View of the articleholding cage of Figure 12.

Referring first to Figures 1 to '7, I show a metal container or drum ithaving a sealed lower end wall I! and provided with annularly-ex'tendingcorrugations l8 ,l9, as and El which not only serve as seats for theretaining elements hereinafter described but function .as peripheralribs for stiffening the drum and ,may also act as rolling .rings.

A base element 22, which may suitably be in the form of laminated wood,is insertible through the upper end of the drum and is of a diameterabout equal to or very slightly less than the internal diameter of thedrum, and serves to hold a machine or other .article such'as 23 insuspended position as shown in Figure l. The article 23 is .here shownas in the nature-of a machine such as a motor and is provided with aflange .24 bywhich it is connected'to the base through bolts 25 thatextend through the flange and the base. The

base is also provided with .a'hole to receive a shaftZt of the motor.

out Qf'dllefit engagement with the side and end walls of the drum andwill therefore not be subject to damage through impacts of the drumagainst hard surfaces. For example, if the package is dropped so thatits lower corner hits a hard surface, the drum can be bent or distortedto a considerable extent without injury to the article containedtherein. The same will be true if the drum is dropped on its side or onits other end.

In order to remove the article from the drum it is necessary only toremove the cover 28 and contract the upper ring 2? to withdraw it fromthe groove 18. Thereupon the operators fingers or suitable lifting toolscan be inserted through holes 29 in the base 22 and the base, togetherwith the article 23, can be lifted out of the drum.

To place an article in the drum the reverse procedure will, of course,be followed.

The other corrugations 2 3 and 2! can be utilized with spring rings tosupport other forms and arrangements of base members, as shown forexample on Sheets 2 and 3 of the drawings in this case.

The lid 23 is locked in sealed engagement with the uppe edge of the drumby a locking ring 38 and clamping elements 32 that are welded or rivetedto the ends of the split ring 3 3 as shown more clearly in Figure 4. Theupper edge of the drum 1% is headed around a wire or rod 33, and thisbead serves as a seat for a rubber gasket or packing ring 3 that isinterposed between the bead and the curved lip of the cover 28.

When the cover and the clamping ring 353 are in place as shown in Figure5 a bolt 35 will be placed through the eyes formed on the lower ends ofthe elements 32 and its nut will then be tightened to contract theclamping ring 3i? and thereby draw the ccverit' down ti htly against therubber gasket 3 3 and also look the cover in place on the drum.

In Figures 8 to 11 I show an arrangement somewhat similar to that ofFigure l, the principal difference being in the form or" the base memberand the manner in which it is mounted ii the drum. In this case the basemember comprises an upper laminated disc 36 and a lower laminated disc3? which are connected in unitary relation by connecting posts 38. Thelower element 3? is centrally apertured to receive the body portion ofan article or machine 39. As shown in Figure 11 the element 3'! is splitat one point to facilitate removal of the base member from the drum incase an indentation has been formed in the side of the drum between theelements 36 and 3'! during handling or shipment. The splitting of theelement 3! weakens it in the axial direction so that when the basemember is removed from the drum the portions of the element 3'! onopposite sides of the split may be deformed downwardly as they meet theindentation, possibly resulting in breaking of the element 3? as thebase member is withdrawn from the drum. The element 37 is cut away at 48to permit the passing therethrough of a laterallyprojecting part #1 ofthe article when assembling the various members; Bolts 52 are employedfor securing the article 39 to the base element 35,

and finger holes 53 are provided for lifting the base and the articleout of the drum, as in the case of Figure '1. Split rings 44 and 45 areprovided and nested in annularly extending corrugations for releasablyholding the base or cage 36-3? in place, as is the case with the ringsl8 and IQ of Figure 1.

Referring now to Figures 12 to 15, I show an arrangement for supportinganother type of machine or article in the drum. In this instance thebase or cage comprises an upper disc element 46, a lower disc element 41and connecting members 48 and 49 that maintain these 5 various parts inunitary relation. As shown in Figure 15 the element d? is splitdiametrically to facilitate removal of the base member from the drum incase an indentation has been formed in the side of the drum between theelements $8 and 41 during handling or shipment. The

splitting of the element ti weakens it in the axial direction so thatwhen the base member is removed from the drum the portions of theelement 4? on opposite sides of the split may be deformed downwardly asthey meet the indentation, possibly resulting in breaking of the elem nti? as the base member is withdrawn from the drum. Batten strips 56assist in bracing the member as against displacement under the pull orweight of anarticle 54 that. is secured to the member 53 by bolts-5ithat extend through the member as and flanges on'the article 54. The

base or cage d84l ,is releasably held in position by split rings 52 and53, nested in annularly extending corrugations, they being spaced sowidely apart as compared to the rings I3 and 59 of Figure l or the ringsid and 5 of Figure 8 that they will give more adequate support for amachine of relatively great length and weight than could be had with therelatively short bases of Figures 1 and 8.

In all cases the drum will be adequately closed and sealed at its top,and the machine and its base, when in assembled relation, can readily beinserted and removed from the drum when the upper split retaining ringis removed.

In the accompanying claims the term base is used in a broad sense toinclude the various elements or devices by which the packaged articlesmay be supported and which are in turn supported by the drum. i i

The term drum is employed herein largely as a matter of convenience; inmost instances the casing or container shell need not necessarily be ofcylindrical contour.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodimentsof the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention isnot limited thereto but may be otherwise vario-usly embodied within thescope of the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A shipping device comprising a container having generally parallelannular internal corrugations, an article supporting base adapted to bedisposed between the corrugations, means for fastening an article to thebase, split rings of spring-like material fitting within thecorrugations and respectively engaging opposite faces of the base toreleasably maintain it in place and closure means separate from the basefor closing the container to confine the base inside it.

2. A shipping device comprising a container of generally cylindricalform having annular internal corrugations spaced apart generally axiallyof the container, an article Supi Qrtingbase adapted to be disposedbetween the corrugations. means for fastening an article to the base,split rings of spring-like material fitting within the corrugations andrespectively engaging opposite faces of the base to releasably maintainit in place and closure means separate from the base for closing thecontainer to confine the base inside it.

3. A shipping device comprising a container of generally cylindricalform having annular inter- 5 nal corrugations spaced apart generallyaxially of the container, an article supporting base adapted to bedisposed between the corrugations, means for fastening an article to thebase, split rings of spring-like material fitting within thecorrugations and respectively engaging opposite faces of the base toreleasably maintain it in place, the container wall being deflectedoutward- 1y to form the corrugations and to form peripheral ribs, andclosure means separate from the base for closing the container toconfine the base inside it.

4. A shipping device comprising a drum of cylindrical form havingannular internal corrugations spaced apart generally axially of thedrum, an article supporting base adapted to be disposed between thecorrugations, means for fastening an article to the base, split rings ofspring-like material fitting within the corrugations and respectivelyengaging opposite faces of the base to releasably maintain it in place,the drum wall being deflected outwardly to form the corrugations and toform peripheral ribs and the base having a diameter approximately equalto the internal diameter of the drum at oints removed from thecorrugations, and'closure means separate from the base for closing thecontainer to confine the base inside it.

JOSEPH G. DUNNEBACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 417,667 Crary Dec. 17, 1889430,431 Milsted June 17, 1890 968,842 FOOte Aug. 30, 1910 1,171,376Wirth Feb. 8, 1916 1,199,311 Sheehan Sept. 26, 1916 1,447,513 HelmondMar. 6, 1923 1,721,427 Aldrich July 16, 1929 1,792,715 Steinharter Feb.17, 1931 1,992,950 Horner et al Mar. 5, 1935 2,137,293 Johnson Nov. 22,1938 2,176,274 Parnin Oct. 17, 1939 2,215,537 Bjong Sept. 24, 19402,300,259 Kueppers Oct. 27, 1942 2,379,053 Weingart June 26, 1945

